


Enchanted

by Paladin-Pile (UserFromPluto)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Gen, Kid Fic, Peril, art included, monsters and other creatures, smols, tiny adventures zine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-30 08:16:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15747816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UserFromPluto/pseuds/Paladin-Pile
Summary: A fun day in the show turns into a terrifying ordeal for little Shiro and his friends. Can he save them before it's too late?





	Enchanted

**Author's Note:**

> FINALLY got around to posting my submission to the Tiny Adventures Zine. I loved being a part of it, so many adorable smol paladins. Art by the amazing @nadiasyahda is embeded.

 

   Happy shouts echo over the field, the silent forest on one side and the cozy village on the other. Everything is covered in a glittering blanket of white, still and serene. Only the playing children and the curls of smoke from chimneys break the stillness.

   Shiro ducks as a snowball flies over his head. Breathless with laughter, he stuffs his little hands into the cold powder and packs it frantically. With no time to make it perfect, Shiro launches the vaguely-round mass at Keith, catching him on the shoulder and spraying his face.

   Allura rushes forward with a battle cry, pelting both Matt and Hunk at the same time. Though the children were supposed to be evenly matched -- Keith, Lance, and Allura against Matt, Shiro, and Hunk-- but Lance has abandoned his post in favor of making a snowman, and thus, given the advantage to the other team. Shiro lunges behind Lance’s snowman, narrowly escaping the _puff-puff_ of projectiles hitting the snow behind him.

   “Get Shiro!” Keith hollers, his knit cap falling over his eyes. “He hasn’t gotten hit yet!”

   With a cheer the others scramble towards him. Shiro squeals, scrambling to gather more ammunition, throwing and running at the same time. Unfortunately, Lance’s snowman lies in the path of the stampede, and it hits the ground dramatically.

   Lance loudly protests the downfall of his masterpiece but doesn't get far with his complaints as more snowballs fly past him. Shiro grabs Lance’s hand as he runs past, leading him to some buried shrubbery for strategic cover. Lance ruins their search for a temporary hideout by calling out.

   “Katie! Over here!” He beckons with his hand, trying to coax Matt’s little sister over to them, but she is so bundled up she can barely walk. After a few steps she faceplants into the snow and Shiro plods over, lifting the toddler up by the back of her coat.

   “You okay, Pidgey?” he asks, brushing the snow off her face. She meets his grin with a beaming one of her own, chubby cheeks already rosy with cold.

   “P’yay!” she cries. She swings her limbs, and Shiro sets her back down. A fast-moving weight slams into Shiro’s back and sends him sprawling, starfished in the snow. The others giggle and land beside him, and Shiro looks up to see Keith’s gap-toothed grin close to his face.

   “Ha!” his friend crows. “Game over, we got-”

   A sound from the woods interrupts him; long and low and unearthly. Slowly, each child stops what they were doing to look towards the sound.

   “You heard that, right?” Matt asks.

   “Yeah,” Shiro replies. “It sounds creepy, I wonder what it was.” After a few seconds, the sound comes a second time, sending chills up Shiro’s spine.

   “Maybe it’s a Treehorn,” Hunk whispers.

   “There’s no such thing as a Treehorn, Hunk.”

   “But Papyi said they’re big and invisible! Taller than the trees and with lots of teeth!

   “They’re not invisible,” Keith retorts. “Just miss...mis-teerius.”

   “They're the same color and pattern as birch bark,” Shiro juts in, proud of his knowledge. “Super tall with four _loooong_ legs that look exactly like tree trunks! That’s what helps them blend into the forest.”

   Hunk and Allura pale, but Keith and Matt lean forward eagerly. Lance bounces in excitement, blue eyes sparkling.

   “If it _is_ real, wouldn’t it be cool to see one?”

   “Of course,” Keith agrees. “But what if it comes after us? Pidge can’t run very fast, and neither can Lance.”

   “Hey!”

   “I don’t think Treehorns are real,” Shiro pipes up. “But we can always carry Pidge if we have to run.”

   “Let’s go then!” Matt cries. Before the words are out of his mouth Keith and Lance are on their feet and heading for the woods. Allura and Hunk follow, looking nervous, and Shiro and Matt take up the rear, Matt carrying his sister so she won’t fall behind. For a while they trek, eyes peeled as they move deeper into the forest.

   “Do you think we’ll see some other fairytale creatures?” Allura asks finally. “Like sprites, or Bytors?”

   “What a great story that would b- _woah!”_

   Lance’s legs fly out from under him, arms flailing as he slides down a mound of snow and into a tree. The others call out worriedly but Lance grins, wiping snow off his face.

   “I’m ok!” he giggles.

   Suddenly, a low rumbling shakes the ground. The children freeze, staring in shock and horror as the tree Lance had slid into _lifts up._ Lance wails in fear and scrambles back up the hill, and the trunk slides completely out of the snow. With wide eyes the children look up, higher and higher until-

   “T’wee!” shouts Pidge, and all hell breaks loose.

   The towering monster lowers its head and roars. The sound echoes through the woods and the children scream, tripping over themselves in their haste to get away. Mobilizing its other legs, the Treehorn starts after them.

   Shiro’s mind goes blank, all he can think about is running, finding the best path of escape for everyone. They have a head start. The trees are hindering the beast’s movement, but its legs cover more ground than theirs.

   “Keith!” Allura cries suddenly.

 

 

   Shiro whips his head around, nearly losing his balance. Keith is several yards behind them, not even running. He’s facing the Treehorn, holding up a _stick_ with his feet planted wide. Hot fear shoots through Shiro’s body, but before he can react, Allura is spinning on her heel and running back.

   “Keith!” she yells again. Shiro slows down, but then Hunk falls and he has to help him up. Out of the corner of his eye he sees Allura grab Keith, dragging him with her, and Shiro is able to breathe again.

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

   With each step the massive legs grow closer. The children are running as fast as they can, but the snow is deep and hard to move through. Shiro’s breath comes in short gasps, cold air burning his lungs. Up ahead is a large formation of rocks, and most importantly, a small cave between them.

   “C’mon!” he yells, grabbing Hunk’s hand and dragging him into the opening. It’s a small space, more like a cleft, but it’s too small for the Treehorn, and that’s what matters. They all pile in, whimpering in fear and stuffing themselves as far back as they can.

   Shiro holds out his arms and presses himself into the group, feet digging into the ground as he tries to push them all further back. Lance’s arms wrap around his waist and Hunk is already crying. Keith is still holding the stick, but Allura won’t let him out of her grip.

   One of the Treehorn’s legs lands in front of the cave opening. The ground trembles with the impact and suddenly its head appears in the opening, its earth-shattering roar deafening their ears. Shiro gets a glimpse of it--flat angular head, almost lizard-like, mouth full of long, curved teeth--before the head disappears and the rocks above them start to shake.

   Pidge is screaming. The Treehorn begins to prod the boulders with its feet, and immediately the rocks shift slightly, dirt and pebbles falling from above. Shiro’s heart hammers wildly. The monster isn't going away, and there’s no escape. He looks past the opening of the cave, and before he’s even fully made the decision, his feet are moving.

   One, two, three steps, and he’s outside the cave, the looming form of the Treehorn blotting out the sun.

   “Shiro!”

   “What are you doing?”

   “Shiro, no!”

   The cries of his friends follow him, but Shiro is on a mission. Skidding to a stop beneath the beast, he throws up his hands and screams.

   “HEY! BARK BUTT, OVER HERE!”

   The monster’s head snaps toward him, ground shaking again as it maneuvers to face him. Still yelling, Shiro turns and runs, looking back every so often to make sure it’s still following. The Treehorn is angry and Shiro is tired, but he has a plan.

   Twisting and turning, he leads the monster down a familiar trail. The snow swallows his feet at every step, and his limbs burn with exertion. It’s not much farther, he has to keep going. He has to save his friends…

   He bursts out of the forest into a small field, relief coursing through him when he hears the flow of water. With no obstacles to hinder its movement, the Treehorn picks up speed, until Shiro is getting sprayed with snow from its steps.

   Just when he’s sure he will be caught, Shiro spots what he is looking for. At the very last second, he darts to the side, throwing himself flat on the ground.

   The Treehorn falters, but its momentum is too great to slow down easily. It lumbers past Shiro, and with an audible _crack_ , its legs collide with the outcropping of rocks, hidden under the snow. The great beast stumbles, then falls…

   And keeps falling.

   There is a second of silence, then a deafening crash, and Shiro breathes a sigh of relief. Sitting up, he shuffles a few steps to the edge of the tallest waterfall in the region. The Treehorn lies motionless at the bottom, and Shiro tries to calm his shaking limbs.

   A sound startles him and he whirls around. Suddenly, his feet are slipping on the ice, and he too is falling. WIth a cry of fear he throws out his hands and manages to snag a rock. He hangs there precariously, feet dangling in the empty space below. Fear resurges through his little body, and helpless tears spring to his eyes.

_“_ Help! _”_ he screams. “Help me!”

   His mittens are slippery with sweat, fingers numb with cold. He knows he can’t hold on long, but his friends should be safe by now, no one will come-

   A hand grabs his wrist and pulls hard. Shiro inches upward, and two more hands grab his arm and scruff of his coat. In a few seconds he is flying up onto solid ground, landing on a pile of small, sobbing bodies.

   “Shiro!” Keith wails. “We were so scared!”

   “I can’t believe you did that! It was so brave...but-” Hunk sniffs loudly and buries himself deeper into Shiro’s side. Shiro hiccups on a sob, fear finally catching up with him.

   “Are you ok?” Matt asks, and Shiro nods, moving closer. For a few moments they sit there, crying and huddling together, until a new voice grabs their attention.

   “My, my, what's this racket about?” says a chipper voice. “Run into a bit of trouble did you?”

   Startled, the children look up to see a red-haired man with a mustache smiling down at them. He is dressed far too lightly for the weather and there isn't a flake of snow on his body, but he seems harmless enough. After a moment with no reply from the children, the man’s expression becomes concerned, and he crouches down in front of them.

   “Now, now, it’s alright. Is anyone hurt?” At the slow shake of heads, he smiles again. “I can go with you back to the village, but you’d best not go wandering in the forest anymore!”  

   Shiro nods frantically along with the others, and after a bit of coaxing, they untangle themselves and follow the man. Matt is tired from carrying Katie, so Shiro takes her, hugging her close to soothe her whimpers.

   The man leads the way through the forest, keeping up a stream of conversation at the solemn children. With each step closer to the village, Shiro can breathe a little easier, and when they finally exit the forest, everyone sighs in relief.

   “We made it,” Hunk says quietly, and Lance clutches his mittened hand tighter.

   “Thank you, Mr….” Allura begins, but trails off when she looks up. They turn every direction, but the man is gone. The forest and field lie still and beautiful, and all that is left are six sets of footprints.

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr @ paladin-pile!


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